Oakland five-piece band the Bye Bye Blackbirds play British Invasion guitar-pop with a twinge of country and roots. "I have an almost pathological determination to somehow represent all the different kinds of music I love within the confines of the band," says singer-songwriter Bradley Skaught via e-mail. The disparate rock influences - '60s rock, '70s power pop, '80s college radio and indie rock - come together for catchy, harmony-laden songs on the band's debut album, "Honeymoon" (2006), and follow-up, "Houses & Homes" (2008), as well as the recent "Tour EP 2010."

The band members come from a legacy of Bay Area bands - everything from the Mr. T Experience to Yuki Oniki - and British-born guitarist Mike Derrick played in bands across the pond, including UK States. The group's musical prowess comes through onstage, and this show is not to be missed.

How did you start creating music together?

BS: The Bye Bye Blackbirds came about as an attempt to put all of the things that (Ian and I) thought we were good at into one band. Aaron and Lenny came on board through the myriad of Bay Area music connections we've built up, and Mike joined the old-fashioned way: Craigslist.

How did you name your band? What does it mean?

BS: "Bye Bye Blackbird" is an old jazz standard. It seemed to serve the dual functions of proclaiming our dedication to the craft of songwriting and also - once you add "the" and make it plural - sounding like a classic '60s rock band.

What elements go into the songwriting process?

BS: I get most of my writing done watching Giants baseball or Warriors basketball. I tend to play guitar while I watch games, and the half-attention I'm paying leads to interesting chord progressions, riffs and melody/lyric fragments. From there, it's just about sorting through the scramble of phrases and images that I've been stuffing into my subconscious.

What are the main themes for your songs?

BS: I like to tap into the images and memories from certain times and places and find ways to bring those to life in an experiential way. I'm not so much interested in the storytelling aspects as the impressions and feelings. Also, love songs to my wife that are well disguised. I don't want people to think I've gotten too soft.

How has living in the Bay Area affected your music?

BS: The Bay Area's not one of those places that has a lot of distinct musical touchstones that you can clearly define as being regional, but it does have a long history of diversity, cross-pollination, risk-taking and a general love of artiness that I respond to. In some ways, I think of the Bay Area as a facilitator for art - you bring what you've gathered up from other places and you can put it all together here.

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To be featured in Bay Area Bandwidth, you must have a confirmed gig coming up and a recording that readers can buy, download or listen to via a Web link. Then e-mail us at bandwidth@sfchronicle.com with: band or artist name, gig info, website and/or MySpace link, a one-paragraph bio that includes your lineup, city location, description of your sound and a link to your two best songs. Do not e-mail music files or other attachments.

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